Small Changes that Make a Big Difference in the Kitchen

As home entertaining has loosened up over the years, the kitchen has become the gathering place and focal point of many houses - they are no longer hidden behind a swinging door and off limits to guests. If your kitchen is feeling like it should be hidden due to its frightful appearance there are a few small changes you can take that will give your kitchen a mini facelift.

Add a Touch of ChalkboardChalkboard paint is a cheap and chic addition to the kitchen that serves a practical use as well. Paint up your pantry door and create a grocery list on the spot.

Paint Kitchen Cabinetry a Fresh ColorKitchen cabinetry is guided by color and material trends at the time that a kitchen is built and can quickly become out of date. Kitchen cabinetry can also last for decades, so a mini makeover can help your kitchen sustain style. The options with cabinetry are endless and depend on the style of cabinetry. Try a bold color for a center island or paint out all of the cabinets in a fun color. If your cabinets are already a color that you are tired of, a simple paint out to white will can open up a space that once felt closed off.

Updating your kitchen hardwareUpdating your hardware to something more current is a small project that will give your kitchen a huge facelift. Here are some great places for hardware, but make sure to check out the finishes in person at your local hardware store:• Atlas Homewares has a great price point for the quality of fixture and a large selection of styles.• Restoration Hardware has a selection of hardware that anyone can choose from and not fret about making a bad choice.• If you are looking for a change that is really unique check out Anthropologie's hardware selection

Switching out FaucetsYou may be used to the faucet that you have and hardly pay attention to it, but take a few minutes and give it a good look. Is it past the point of salvage with cleaning products? If so, this could be just the small touch to brighten up your kitchen. With finishes and styles evolving as quickly as fashion you might be surprised to learn that your faucet is as fashionable as the grunge movement from the 90's.

Switching out BarstoolsIf you have a bar counter and your barstools aren't adding much excitement to the eating area, this is a great way to inject a bit of botox into into the kitchen space.